The Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop: Our First Clinic Begins a New Chapter

For more than 20 years, our Levander Loop clinic has been at the heart of Emancipet’s mission to make veterinary care affordable and accessible for everyone. It is where our journey as a brick-and-mortar clinic began, and where a bold vision for the future of veterinary care first took root.

We are proud to celebrate the opening of the Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop; a new clinic space that honors the leader whose vision helped transform a single Austin mobile veterinary clinic into a nationally recognized model for affordable veterinary care.

Where It All Began

In 2005, Emancipet was a mobile spay/neuter program serving pets across Central Texas. That year, the City of Austin gave us permission to use an unused building at Levander Loop as our first permanent clinic location.

The opportunity was exciting, but there was one major challenge: we had no funding for the medical equipment needed to operate a clinic and no fundraising staff to help secure it.

A group of dedicated volunteers stepped up and wrote a grant proposal to Impact Austin, sharing a vision for how this clinic could expand access to spay/neuter services for low-income families and improve animal welfare throughout the community.

In 2006, that vision became reality when Impact Austin awarded Emancipet one of its signature grants of $100,000 to purchase anesthesia machines, surgical packs, exam tables, and other critical equipment.

That investment changed everything.

The Levander Loop clinic became the foundation for what Emancipet would become: a growing network of clinics serving hundreds of thousands of pets and families who might otherwise go without care.

As longtime supporter Missy Nichols shared:

“Levander Loop is like the ‘mama clinic’ of Emancipet— it’s the sourdough starter that sparked everything that followed. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come, and every clinic that opens will always carry a little piece of Levander Loop with it. Cheers to the new Amy Mills Emancipet Clinic at Levander Loop and the next chapter in this incredible story.”

Honoring Amy Mills’ Vision

The decision to name the new clinic after Amy Mills recognizes her extraordinary 18 years of leadership at Emancipet and unwavering commitment to making veterinary care accessible to all pets and the people who love them.

Under Amy’s leadership, Emancipet expanded from a local nonprofit into a multi-state organization that has helped redefine what affordable veterinary care can look like. Her vision challenged the idea that quality care should be out of reach for families facing financial barriers.

Reflecting on the new clinic, Amy shared:

“I was so moved and honored when Cheryl revealed the new name of the Levander Loop clinic. This particular clinic has been reborn so many times—we first opened it back in 2005 in an abandoned building that had been gifted to us by the City of Austin. That one was torn down and in its place we put two ‘new to us’ renovated modular buildings, and now that’s been torn down and in its place is this beautiful, modern modular clinic.

This cycle of rebirth of this clinic proves that it isn’t about the building—it’s about what happens inside it. Hundreds of thousands of pets and families have come through these doors when other doors were closed to them. In every version of itself, Emancipet’s Levander Loop clinic has stood for compassion, family, care and connection.

Having my name associated with those values is the most meaningful honor I can imagine. I’ll always be proud of what happens inside this building, and I can’t even begin to express what it means to me to have a permanent connection with it.”

We recognize Amy’s commitment to accessible and affordable care for all pets and dignity for all pet families. Her leadership helped create opportunities for countless families to access veterinary care when they needed it most.

Amy Mills, former CEO of Emancipet, poses in front of the plaque honoring her contribution to Emancipet

Building for the Future

While the clinic building may look different than it did in 2005, the purpose remains the same.

*The team serving the Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop.*

The new Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop has been designed to better serve the pets and families who rely on Emancipet to care for their dogs and cats. The upgraded and expanded space allows our teams to provide care more efficiently, create a better experience for clients and staff, and continue expanding access to affordable veterinary services for years to come.

CEO Cheryl Katon delivers opening remarks at the 2026 Donor Ribbon Cutting for the Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop in Austin, TX

A Message from Cheryl Katon, CEO:

“Levander Loop is where Emancipet’s vision for accessible veterinary care first took root, and it’s impossible to tell the story of this clinic without recognizing Amy Mills’ leadership and belief that every pet family deserves access to quality care. Amy helped build not just a clinic, but a movement that has transformed veterinary care for hundreds of thousands of pets and families.

Naming this clinic in her honor recognizes the lasting impact of her vision while celebrating the future we’re building together. This new facility ensures that Levander Loop can continue serving our community for decades to come, providing compassionate, affordable care to pets and people. We are grateful to the donors, partners, and supporters who made this project possible and who continue to invest in a future where veterinary care is within reach for every family.”

Where It All Began

The story of Levander Loop has always been a story about community.

From the volunteers who wrote the original Impact Austin grant to the donors who helped make this new clinic possible, supporters have invested in a simple but powerful belief: every pet family deserves access to veterinary care.

Donors support projects like the Amy Mills Clinic at Levander Loop because they know that facilities are more than buildings. They are places where pets receive care, where families find support without judgment, and where communities become healthier together.

Every investment in Emancipet’s infrastructure helps us reach more pets, serve more families, and strengthen access to care for future generations.